Why Take Research Training

Why take Research Training?

Research Training is a central part of postgraduate education in the UK. With the backing of the Research Councils, institutions now train their students in generic and subject-specific research methods and skills. The Aberystwyth University (AU) Research Training and Development Programme aims to give students generic methods and skills which address the needs of researchers in the modern academic environment and prepare them for their future careers. It plays an essential part in creating and sustaining an advanced research community.

Aberystwyth is committed to the provision of an appropriate level of training for all its postgraduate students and as part of this commitment the University has established a Research Training and Development Programme. Research Training at Aberystwyth is made up of an induction programme, and a set of centrally-provided modules, workshops and activities co-ordinated by the Graduate School. Certain groups of students are required by their Research Council remit, funding body and/or department to follow specific elements of the programme, but all postgraduates are welcome to opt-in to any aspects of the programme, if they feel their research skills will thereby be enhanced.  The Research Training and Development Programme run under the auspices of the Graduate School is supplemented by subject-specific research training provision offered by individual departments, intended to equip students with specific research skills unique to their particular research discipline and to the individual needs of the student.

The Research Training and Development Programme is taught by staff who are specialists in their discipline, who come together through a commitment to creating an advanced and multidisciplinary research environment. As a result of this programme students are better equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to devise, conduct and write up their research within the specified time limits. Following the introduction of the programme, submission rates at AU have increased dramatically.

There is also a vocational reason to do research training. The programme will give you marketable skills and competencies, to enable you to move from a research degree into a variety of employment opportunities. It helps develop information processing and communication skills that are sought in the labour market. The Research Training and Development Programme will provide you with a strong set of marketable skills which will mean you have a much wider range of job opportunities than otherwise would be the case.

Although much of the research training is focussed on the first year of study, advanced training in some methodological techniques and two Graduate Workshops are held in subsequent years. This is a developing programme as a consequence of Aberystwyth being part of a prestigious ESRC founded Doctoral Training Centre (DTC). Research students should also be aware of their obligation to participate in continuing Professional Development as part of their training, see http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/grad-school/res-skills-training/pg-skills-training/